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Original poster

Macbooks - worth the money?

27 replies

LaBellaCinderella · 13/09/2018 20:20

Just that, really.

Also, can you use MS office on a MacBook? Kids have to do stuff for school using MS office and email it in as homework.

OP posts:
JumpingJetFlash · 13/09/2018 20:46

I think so - mine is 3 1/2 years old and as quick/good battery as new. I ❤️ it! I was about to go back to Uni so got an education discount at the Apple Store and bought Office on a 4-yr education license for about £60.

WhoMovedMyCoffee · 13/09/2018 20:47

MacBooks are worth the money.

I don't have MS office on mine . Husband does.

chipsandpeas · 13/09/2018 20:49

i love mine, well worth the money

i dont have MS office on mine i use the mac equivalient which can be exported to MS office file types

AnneLovesGilbert · 13/09/2018 20:50

Things of absolute beauty. Couldn’t be without mine.

OddestSock · 13/09/2018 20:50

yes. DH passed his onto me a couple of years back (he'd had it 3 or so years) when he upgraded. it's still going strong, my PC laptops never lasted long.

INeedNewShoes · 13/09/2018 20:51

It definitely is for me as it's my work machine and I use demanding software.

I can't imagine buying DD a MacBook because the cost to replace it is huge in the event of an accident with it.

I have to agree with pp though that after 3 years mine is still running beautifully whereas my previous PC computers have always shown signs of aging by this point.

A580Hojas · 13/09/2018 20:53

I wouldn't buy one for a child at school though.

Stripybeachbag · 13/09/2018 21:04

My pc laptops all have died after 3 years. School have given me a MacBook and it is great. So light and fast. I really recommend them.

MongerTruffle · 13/09/2018 21:05

Yes. They are great.
The one problem with Office I have is that animations made on macOS don’t always work the same way on Windows.

Original poster
LaBellaCinderella · 13/09/2018 21:22

Amazing, thank you. And it’s definitely for me and not DC!

Can I ask what models you have? Have been looking on the Apple store and got a bit lost!

OP posts:
WhatsGoingOnEh · 13/09/2018 21:25

I've got a MacBook Pro which is fab, but very heavy if you have to take it anywhere.

I borrowed a colleague's MacBook Air and was really impressed with it. SO light.

RaggieDolls · 13/09/2018 21:32

I have a MacBook Air. I bought it from a friend who was upgrading so I wasn't bothered about having a Mac. Now I have one I think I'm ruined for any other laptop. It's absolutely lovely.

I use MS Office on it through the £10 deal for people with an Office 365 subscription from work.

damekindness · 13/09/2018 21:41

Another big yes from me for a Mac...I've a MacBook Pro and it's the best laptop ever. Pricy but so worth it for battery life, speed and Just being a Thing of Beauty.

The other bonus for me is that as I'm Apples Bitch and have the whole iPhone/iPad/iMac range - the ability to fluidly move between devices/apps is really handy

Original poster
LaBellaCinderella · 13/09/2018 22:25

Thanks, that’s fab.

I use MS Office on it through the £10 deal for people with an Office 365 subscription from work

Thanks for that too. Will look into that

OP posts:
StillMedusa · 13/09/2018 22:29

My Macbook Pro is 8 years old and still going strong.
I also have a Macbook Air which is stuffed to the hilt with DS1's music recording, and it still copes. They are expensive but good!

Stupomax · 13/09/2018 23:18

My kids have Macbook Air 11s provided by the school for free (paid for by the state). Very easy to use and they love them.

I have a Macbook Air 13 which I do lots of work on using MS Office, Photoshop, InDesign, and much more. I prefer to work on an iMac when I'm at my desk, but the Air copes just fine with all the software I've thrown at it.

I'm sure a Macbook Pro would be lovely, but I just haven't needed one.

My only complaint about MS Office on a Mac is that the scrolling on Excel is a bit shit. Anyone else noticed that?

PedroLostHisGlasses · 13/09/2018 23:18

I love mine. My first one lasted 7 years, which is 6.5 years longer than my non-Apple laptop lasted and 3 years longer than my husband's non-Apple laptop lasted. It only 'went' because I was foolish enough to leave it out around our small children and one of them pushed it off the sofa and I think it must have damaged something internally. Then I got a new one, which is still going fine.

I use OpenOffice, which is free to download.

ChinaCrisis · 13/09/2018 23:21

Absolutely worth every penny. I support a network of around 55 or so self employed freelancers and those with PC's are always experiencing technical issues - The MAC users rarely so!

Thymeout · 14/09/2018 00:23

Mine is 7 years old. I'm on it for hours every day. I needed a new battery 2 years ago, but, otherwise I've never had any problems. No viruses either!

INeedNewShoes · 14/09/2018 09:37

Just on the topic of viruses I just want to dispell the myth that Macs don't get viruses. Now that they are becoming more popular it is becoming more worthwhile for the baddies to develop viruses for them.

My MacBook Pro had a virus a couple of years ago. It rendered it unusable but was soon rescued by Apple Tech Support. The thing that really really makes Apple stand out is the customer service. You can just walk into an Apple store and they will help you or you can phone for technical support. The customer service is impressive!

IJustLostTheGame · 14/09/2018 10:27

My MacBook is 13 years old and still going happily. It's been repaired a few times and DH has done some sort of upgrade wizardry now and then.
I have the mac version of word, photoshop and excel. They are as good as microsoft.
I love my MacBook. I had PC laptops before but they never lasted more than a few years, and they never worked as well to start with.
Techy nerdy DH is adamant they don't make them the same way now now. He says you can't take them apart and upgrade/improve/mod them like you used to.
If it wasn't for him I doubt if have kept it this long though, he has kept it running fast somehow by regular tinkering.

INeedNewShoes · 14/09/2018 10:56

Yes, rather than separate replaceable components everything is now welded to be integrated with the motherboard which is mean. When I bought my Macbook pro I actually got one of the end-of-the-line lower spec ones to get the older model which should have more longevity even though the shiny new models had been released.

SinkGirl · 14/09/2018 11:00

DH’s MacBook Pro is still going strong 5 or 6 years on and is in constant use. I had an old white MacBook and now a MacBook Air and both developed major faults - personally I don’t think the cheaper ones last too well but the Pros are worth the money.

Sallystyle · 14/09/2018 11:10

Hell yes.

I wouldn't use anything else.

Idontbelieveinthemoon · 14/09/2018 12:41

MacBook Air user here and I love it. DS1 has DH's old MacBook Pro for his school work, it must be getting on for 9 years old and it's still a genuinely great bit of kit as they seem to just go on forever. DH's new Pro is a beautiful thing and I've bagsied it when he upgrades next.